According to Mohammad Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Governments Summit Organization, the Summit has significantly transformed since its establishment in 2013. Originally designed to enhance governance and foresee global developments, it has adapted to meet the rising challenges facing the world.

Al Gergawi observed that the Summit has evolved from a local meeting into a global hub for leaders in government and the private sector. He added that this year’s edition is the largest ever, reinforcing the Summit’s status as the world’s leading forum for global governments.

Speaking at today’s World Governments Summit Dialogue at the Museum of the Future in Dubai, where key themes and recent enhancements to the WGS were discussed, Al Gergawi remarked, “Initiated in the UAE with a worldwide vision, the World Governments Summit was driven by the leadership’s intention to become a global platform for practical solutions, fresh ideas, and impactful partnerships.”

Al Gergawi added, “The World Governments Summit 2026 marks an unprecedented milestone, featuring the largest leadership gathering in its history. The event will convene over 35 heads of state and government alongside a host of government delegations and over 150 governments. These leaders will join a total of more than 6,000 attendees, including prominent thought leaders and global experts.”

He stressed that the World Governments Summit continues to serve as a vital global platform for transforming public-private partnerships into significant, tangible impacts. This mission is driven by a robust network of more than 70 strategic partners, including top corporations and academic institutions. He pointed out that the Summit’s achievements rely on these collaborations, as each partnership and initiative helps refine governance models and strengthen the nation’s ability to tackle future challenges.

The Summit will see the participation of several heads of state, including His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan; Guy Parmelin, President of Switzerland; Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador; Alar Karis, President of Estonia; Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, President of North Macedonia; Vjosa Osmani, President of Kosovo; and H.H. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Crown Prince of Kuwait.

Heads of government in attendance include Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania; Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia; Rt. Hon. Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Vice President of Nepal; Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt; Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; Hon. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan; Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica; Hon. Edward David Burt, Premier of Bermuda; and Hon. Russell Mmiso Dlamini, Prime Minister of Eswatini.

After featuring several Nobel Prize winners in prior editions, the UAE will host the World Laureates Summit this year in conjunction with the World Government Summit. Taking place on February 1 and 2, in partnership with the World Laureates Association, this will be the largest event of its kind, showcasing distinguished laureates recognized with global honors including the Nobel Prize, Turing Award, Wolf Prize, Fields Medal, Great Arab Minds, and other major international scientific distinctions.

Among the notable attendees are Michael Levitt (2013 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry), Steven Chu (1997 Nobel Laureate in Physics), Kip Thorne (2017 Nobel Laureate in Physics), Yoshua Bengio (2018 Turing Award recipient), and John Hopcroft (1986 Turing Award recipient).

Over the span of two days, these laureates will join forces to generate scientific solutions to pressing governmental challenges, with the results of their conversations scheduled to be announced at the World Governments Summit.

This year’s edition presents an elaborate agenda featuring 24 global forums and 35 ministerial and high-level meetings, which will gather more than 500 ministers. The Summit aims to release 36 strategic reports in collaboration with its global knowledge partners.

This year’s event will feature strategic discussions on the future of key sectors, such as governance, technology, aviation, logistics, tourism, global trade, and investment. Notable CEOs attending these sessions will include the Chairman and Co-Founder of Alibaba, the CEO of Airbus, the CEO of IBM, the Chairperson of CATL, the CEO of Ericsson, the CEO of Waymo, the CEO of SambaNova, the CEO of Colossal Biosciences, the CEO of Hugo Boss, Tucker Carlson, the CEO of Rakuten, the CEO of BlackBerry, the Executive VP of BYD, the COO of Google DeepMind, the CEO and Managing Director of Tech Mahindra, the CEO of M-PESA Africa, the Founder and COO of Canva, the Chair of Japan’s Narita Airport, the CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the CEO of Kempinski, the President of Global Operations at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and the Co-President of Valor.

Attending the Summit will be CEOs from global media corporations as well as founders of media platforms.

The upcoming edition of the World Governments Summit has dramatically evolved in both scale and the impact of global participation. By bringing together heads of state and government from every continent, the Summit acts as a crucial global crossroads. With an extensive agenda covering a wide range of essential sectors, the event is poised to influence future trends and hasten societal development and progress around the world.

The Summit will host more than 100 international and regional organizations, in addition to global and academic institutions. It will also welcome numerous leaders from international organizations, such as Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF); Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC); Jasem Al Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council; Fahad Al Turki, Director General and Chairman of the Board of the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF); Abdulhamid AlKhalifa, President of the OPEC Fund; and Ousmane Dione, Vice President for the MENA region at the World Bank, among others.

The agenda for the Summit highlights several significant themes, including: Global Governance and Effective Leadership; Societal Wellbeing and Building Capacities; Economic Prosperity and Strategic Investments; Urban Future and Demographic Changes; and Future Realities and Emerging Frontiers.

Hosting over 320 sessions, the Summit will include more than 450 prominent global figures, such as presidents, ministers, experts, thought leaders, and decision-makers.

The World Governments Summit 2026 will include over 35 ministerial and high-level meetings, gathering sector ministers and global CEOs. Key sessions slated for discussion are the Arab Fiscal Forum, the Arab Youth Ministers roundtable, and the Global Councils on SDGs. Additional ministerial talks will center on next-generation governments and the future of retail, sports, and tourism.

In addition, the Summit will host specialized forums organized by international governments, such as a high-level meeting with the Government of Uzbekistan, the New Ecuador Forum with the President of Ecuador in attendance, a bilateral dialogue on AI between Kazakhstan and South Korea, and the Kuwait-UAE Economic Forum.

During this year’s Summit, multiple strategic meetings and conferences will be held by international organizations. Highlights include the high-level Investment Roundtable for Latin America & the Caribbean in cooperation with the IFC; the Arab Public Administration Forum; the 10th International Cooperation Conference (ACS) Roundtable; a closed session focused on Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Enhancing Countries’ Preparedness with the IMF; the Future of Aviation Roundtable in partnership with ICAO; the OECD-EU High-Level Dialogue; and the high-level meeting of the Latin American Center for Development Administration (CLAD) Governing Board.

The World Governments Summit’s agenda features 24 dedicated global forums focused on anticipating future trends within critical sectors. These forums aim to create innovative solutions that enhance these industries and improve community quality of life worldwide. Featured forums include the Artificial Intelligence Forum; the Geotechnology and Policy Forum in partnership with the Atlantic Council; the Global Logistics Dialogue; the New Silk Road Forum; the Government Experience Exchange Forum; the Future of Education Forum; the Emerging Economies Forum; the Global Health Forum; the Future of Mobility Forum; the Government Services Forum; the Sustainability Impact Forum; the Global Dialogue for Impact; and the Global Government Regulations & Justice Forum, among others.

The forums will feature the participation of key private sector leaders and experts from various fields, including technology and AI, aviation and travel, international trade, e-commerce, investment and sovereign funds, and new media and the content industry. Notable participants will comprise CEOs, executives, and founders from entities such as Dubai Airports, Emirates, Latam Airlines Group, TAP Portugal, KLM, Six Flags, 25hours Hotels, EHL Hospitality Business School, Bloomberg Media, Euro News, AFP, India Today Group, Semafor, Axios, Rest of World platform, Monocle, McGill University, Arizona State University, Southern California University, Sunway University, Oxford, Hong Kong University, and IMD, among others.

As part of its mission to advocate for innovation and excellence in public service, the World Governments Summit will again celebrate global success stories and pioneering governance through four esteemed awards. This year’s accolades comprise the Best Minister Award, in partnership with PwC; the Most Reformed Government Global Award, created with EY; the Dubai International Best Practices Award for Sustainable Development, held in conjunction with UN-Habitat and Dubai Municipality; and the Global Teacher Prize, awarded collaboratively with the Varkey Foundation.